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KC-130T (mishap)

Re: KC-130T (mishap)

You are correct the KC-130T wreckage appears intact , except for the Vertical Stabilizer or part thereof . The other photo could shed light on that . I'm sure the Accident Investigation board knows.

Re: KC-130T (mishap)

Posted: 27 Sep 2017, 03:26

by h-bomb

The aircraft was inverted so you will not see the rudder, as it would be under the fuselage. If it had broken off, C-130 rudders are not exactly small, it should have its own debris field. That I why I suspect it was still attached.

This post has been updated to include additional information from the Marine Corps and a statement from Commandant Gen. Robert Neller. A Marine Corps KC-130T plane crashed in a field in northwest Mississippi on Monday and killed the 16 service members onboard the plane, the Marine Corps confirmed this morning, making this the deadliest Marine Corps aviation mishap since 2005. The plane departed Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C., on Monday afternoon on a personnel and equipment transport mission to Naval Air Field El Centro, Calif. The plane was flown by Marines from the reserve unit Marine Aerial Refueling and Transport Squadron (VMGR) 452, Marine Air Group-49, 4th Marine Aircraft Wing, Marine Forces Reserve.

Among the passengers were six Marines and a Navy corpsman from the 2nd Marine Raider Battalion under Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command. The Camp Lejeune-based MARSOC personnel were being transported to Marine Corps Air Station Yuma in Arizona for small unit pre-deployment training. The plane crashed around 4 p.m. Central Daylight Time. Federal Aviation Administration officials contacted the Marine Corps when the aircraft disappeared from air traffic control radar over Mississippi, according to a Marine Corps statement. The cause of the crash is still unknown. The Associated Press and CBS News reported that an official with the local Greenwood Airport said the KC-130 suffered a structural failure while flying at 20,000 feet altitude. Local media had also reported several explosions after the crash. A statement from Marine Forces Reserve notes that small arms ammunition and personal weapons were being transported on the plane and that an explosive ordnance disposal unit had been dispatched to the crash scene as a precaution.

The Marine Corps on Monday evening only confirmed this evening that “a USMC KC-130 experienced a mishap the evening of July 10″ and would not elaborate on the units involved or the location of departure until families of the victims were notified. The Marines’ Tuesday morning statement did not specify the service affiliation of the 16 service members aboard; however, in a confirmation hearing Tuesday morning, Navy secretary nominee Richard V. Spencer said 15 Marines and one sailor died in the crash, and the Marine Corps later confirmed that the one sailor was a corpsman in a Marine unit. The loss of 16 lives makes this the deadliest Marine Corps aviation mishap in 12 years. ....Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. Robert Neller said in a statement this morning, “On behalf of the entire Marine Corps, I want to express my deepest condolences to the families of those killed in the aircraft mishap yesterday afternoon in Mississippi. Please keep the families of our 16 fallen service members in your thoughts and prayers. Our focus remains on notifying and supporting the families while we conduct a thorough investigation into the cause of this tragedy.” President Donald Trump expressed his sympathy this morning via Twitter, writing “Marine Plane crash in Mississippi is heartbreaking. Melania and I send our deepest condolences to all!” The Lockheed Martin-built KC-130T is a four-engine turboprop plane that conducts air-to-air refueling and passenger and cargo airlift. The plane has a crew of six and can carry up to 92 ground troops when used for troop transport, according to a Naval Air Systems Command fact sheet.

...from Marine Corps Special Operations Command:A Marine Corps KC-130 transport aircraft crashed in LeFlore County, Miss., on July 10 at approximately 4 p.m. CDT, with 16 service members missing and presumed deceased. The aircraft was transporting six Marines and one Navy sailor from Marine Corps Forces, Special Operations Command and their associated equipment for routine small unit pre-deployment training at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz. All seven were from the Camp Lejeune-based 2d Marine Raider Battalion.The identities of the service members whose lives were lost in this tragic incident are being withheld to allow time for notification of their next of kin. While the details of the crash are under investigation, MARSOC is providing all available resources and support to the family, friends and teammates of these Raiders as we all mourn this tragic loss of life.“Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire MARSOC family at this time,” said the MARSOC chief of staff. “The incredible demands of this dangerous and demanding calling forge some of the tightest unit and family bonds found in the U.S. military. This loss impacts us all.”

...from Marine Forces Reserve:The Marine aircraft that crashed Monday evening was a KC-130T from Marine Aerial Refueling and Transport Squadron (VMGR) 452, Marine Air Group-49, 4th Marine Aircraft Wing, Marine Forces Reserve. The flight originated from Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C., as the squadron was supporting a requirement to transport personnel and equipment from there to Naval Air Field El Centro, Calif. The crew and passengers consisted of 15 Marines and one Navy Corpsman. Equipment on board included various small arms ammunition and personal weapons. An Explosive Ordnance Disposal team is at the scene as a precaution in the interest of safety. The identities of the personnel whose lives were lost in this tragic accident are still being withheld to allow time for their loved ones to be notified appropriately. While the details of the incident are being investigated, our focus remains on providing the necessary resources and support to the family and friends of these service members as they go through this extremely difficult time.

...from Lt. Gen. Rex McMillian, commander of Marines Forces Reserve and Marine Forces North:“On behalf of the Marine Corps Reserve, I extend my deepest sympathies to the loved ones of those who perished in last night’s tragedy. The Marines and Sailor involved in this incident were among our finest. They dedicated their lives to our core values of Honor, Courage and Commitment. They will never be forgotten.”

... from Marine Corps Headquarters:A Marine Corps KC-130 transport aircraft crashed in LeFlore County, Miss., on July 10 at approximately 4 p.m. CDT, claiming the lives of 16 service members. The flight originated from Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C. Federal Aviation Administration officials contacted the Marine Corps when the aircraft disappeared from air traffic control radar over Mississippi. The cause of the crash is unknown at this time; the incident is under investigation. The identities of the service members whose lives were lost in this tragic accident are being withheld to allow time for their loved ones to be notified. While the details of the incident are being investigated, our focus remains on providing the necessary resources and support to the family and friends of these service members as they go through this extremely difficult time. More information will be released as it becomes available.

Itta Bena, Mississippi (CNN)The KC-130 aircraft that crashed in western Mississippi this week, killing all 16 troops on board, left two "large impact areas," Marines Brig. Gen. Bradley James said Wednesday. It's not clear how far apart the sites are, but one lies about a half-mile north of US 82 and the other a half-mile south of the highway. "Indications are something went wrong at cruise altitude," the general said. Search teams are still finding aircraft parts in the 5-mile debris field, Leflore County Sheriff Ricky Banks said. They found one of the plane's engines Wednesday morning, he said. It wasn't clear if the engine constituted one of the "impact areas." Also found was a parachute that had not been deployed, Banks said.

Andy Jones, a witness to Monday's crash, said a trail of white smoke followed the plane as it spiraled toward a soybean field. It dropped below the tree line with a bang. The plane appeared to be upside-down, a Marine Corps official says. "At first it looked like an acrobatic plane, like a stunt plane, blowing the smoke out the back," Jones said. "Then all of a sudden you realized that the smoke was coming off one of the sides of the wing." Jones called 911 after he heard the plane hit the ground, describing the final moments before the impact that killed a Navy hospital corpsman and all 15 Marines on board. There were bodies on the opposite side of US 82 from the main crash site, Jones told CNN.

The crash site, near Itta Bena, is about 100 miles north of Jackson. CNN aviation analyst Mary Schiavo said that given the two distinct impact points and that the debris is spread out over several miles, it leads her to believe the plane experienced a catastrophic event -- perhaps an engine or propeller breaking off -- that caused the plane to come apart midair. "That means an in-flight breakup," the former inspector general for the US Department of Transportation said. "That's really rare." The plane disappeared from Federal Aviation Administration radar at 20,000 feet, about a mile below its flight ceiling, and plummeted uncontrolled to the ground, said a Marine Corps official familiar with the latest preliminary analysis. Though there is no official conclusion about the cause of the crash and officials continue to review data, video of the aftermath indicates the crew made no attempt to land the plane, and the plane was upside down as it burned in the soybean field, the official said. This means "there is a high probability" the plane experienced a catastrophe when it disappeared from radar, according to the official. It's unclear if the ammunition on board played any role in the crash, the official said. It was not clear if the plane was carrying a black box, but Marines spokesman Maj. Andrew Aranda said, "There are some components within the aircraft that record or store information that can be used to aid the investigation."

The military is in the recovery phase of the operation, James said. Next, it will work to preserve the impact sites before beginning an investigation, he said. The FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and other state and local agencies are assisting in the operation, he said. The National Transportation Safety Board will not participate, as the crash involved a military aircraft, spokesman Peter Knudsen said. Because the plane was carrying weapons and small-arms ammunition, an ordnance disposal team is working in the area. Anyone removing items from the scene or near it could be criminally prosecuted, state Department of Public Safety Commissioner Marshall Fisher said. "If the public hears an explosion -- a small explosion, in that regard -- there should be no need for alarm," Fisher said. On Thursday, Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant told people to turn over any items found within 5 miles of the crash site. Keeping anything could be a federal crime, he said. He declared the site an emergency area and ordered flags in the state to fly at half staff on Friday. The plane was headed to Arizona and California.

Re: KC-130T (mishap)

Posted: 09 Oct 2017, 01:32

by gunny9fingers

My thinking of this mishap is that either the #1 or #2 prop departed from the reduction gearbox and impacted the fuselage causing the airframe to split apart. If you look at the photos of the fuselage wreckage, one does not see the section of the flight station, which could correspond with part of the wreckage being located 1 mile away from the main airframe.

Itta Bena, Mississippi (CNN)The KC-130 aircraft that crashed in western Mississippi this week, killing all 16 troops on board, left two "large impact areas," Marines Brig. Gen. Bradley James said Wednesday. It's not clear how far apart the sites are, but one lies about a half-mile north of US 82 and the other a half-mile south of the highway. "Indications are something went wrong at cruise altitude," the general said. Search teams are still finding aircraft parts in the 5-mile debris field, Leflore County Sheriff Ricky Banks said. They found one of the plane's engines Wednesday morning, he said. It wasn't clear if the engine constituted one of the "impact areas." Also found was a parachute that had not been deployed, Banks said.

Andy Jones, a witness to Monday's crash, said a trail of white smoke followed the plane as it spiraled toward a soybean field. It dropped below the tree line with a bang. The plane appeared to be upside-down, a Marine Corps official says. "At first it looked like an acrobatic plane, like a stunt plane, blowing the smoke out the back," Jones said. "Then all of a sudden you realized that the smoke was coming off one of the sides of the wing." Jones called 911 after he heard the plane hit the ground, describing the final moments before the impact that killed a Navy hospital corpsman and all 15 Marines on board. There were bodies on the opposite side of US 82 from the main crash site, Jones told CNN.

The crash site, near Itta Bena, is about 100 miles north of Jackson. CNN aviation analyst Mary Schiavo said that given the two distinct impact points and that the debris is spread out over several miles, it leads her to believe the plane experienced a catastrophic event -- perhaps an engine or propeller breaking off -- that caused the plane to come apart midair. "That means an in-flight breakup," the former inspector general for the US Department of Transportation said. "That's really rare." The plane disappeared from Federal Aviation Administration radar at 20,000 feet, about a mile below its flight ceiling, and plummeted uncontrolled to the ground, said a Marine Corps official familiar with the latest preliminary analysis. Though there is no official conclusion about the cause of the crash and officials continue to review data, video of the aftermath indicates the crew made no attempt to land the plane, and the plane was upside down as it burned in the soybean field, the official said. This means "there is a high probability" the plane experienced a catastrophe when it disappeared from radar, according to the official. It's unclear if the ammunition on board played any role in the crash, the official said. It was not clear if the plane was carrying a black box, but Marines spokesman Maj. Andrew Aranda said, "There are some components within the aircraft that record or store information that can be used to aid the investigation."

The military is in the recovery phase of the operation, James said. Next, it will work to preserve the impact sites before beginning an investigation, he said. The FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and other state and local agencies are assisting in the operation, he said. The National Transportation Safety Board will not participate, as the crash involved a military aircraft, spokesman Peter Knudsen said. Because the plane was carrying weapons and small-arms ammunition, an ordnance disposal team is working in the area. Anyone removing items from the scene or near it could be criminally prosecuted, state Department of Public Safety Commissioner Marshall Fisher said. "If the public hears an explosion -- a small explosion, in that regard -- there should be no need for alarm," Fisher said. On Thursday, Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant told people to turn over any items found within 5 miles of the crash site. Keeping anything could be a federal crime, he said. He declared the site an emergency area and ordered flags in the state to fly at half staff on Friday. The plane was headed to Arizona and California.

Re: KC-130T (mishap)

Posted: 26 Oct 2017, 22:03

by wbh

USAF C-130H LAC 4645 , 74-1678 had a #4 engine depart the wing & caused an inflight breakup east of Adana Turkey . The probable cause was failure of the engine " Lord " mounts. On the next plane in the production sequence, which was LAC 4646 , 74-1679 we encountered the onset of the same problem during an FCF following PDM about a month after the crash of 4645 The engine was shutdown IAW the dash one and we landed safely . we sent the defective "Lord " mount to WRALC and this led to the conclusion of the cause of 4645's accident. As a precaution all "Lord" mounts on USAF & USCG airplanes on the facility were replaced. However USN/USMC airplanes were exempted because replacement of ALL rubber products including "Lord" mounts was mandated by the SDLM Spec. I do not know if that requirement still existed at the time of the crashed airplane's last SDLM. ( SDLM is Standard Depot Level Maintenance ,a NAVY term ).

Re: KC-130T (mishap)

Posted: 28 Oct 2017, 08:56

by neptune

KC-130T only 12 left in service; bureau # 165000 MSN 382-5303 with VGMR-452

Re: KC-130T (mishap)

14. C/KC-130T NP2000 Propeller System (+24 kits) - $121MThe Navy's C/KC-130T fleet is the only medium lift aircraft capable of supporting outsize cargo and operating in remote or unprepared airfields in support of Naval expeditionary logistics. The C/KC-130T fleet (21 of 25 aircraft) has been grounded due to safety concerns with the legacy propeller system. The NP2000 will address the number one aircraft readiness degrader and provide commonality with existing systems on E-2/C-2 aircraft.

....perhaps a cause was detected??

Re: KC-130T (mishap)

14. C/KC-130T NP2000 Propeller System (+24 kits) - $121MThe Navy's C/KC-130T fleet is the only medium lift aircraft capable of supporting outsize cargo and operating in remote or unprepared airfields in support of Naval expeditionary logistics. The C/KC-130T fleet (21 of 25 aircraft) has been grounded due to safety concerns with the legacy propeller system. The NP2000 will address the number one aircraft readiness degrader and provide commonality with existing systems on E-2/C-2 aircraft.

....perhaps a cause was detected??

That last line caught my attention. Especially, "commonality with existing systems on E-2/C-2 aircraft." I'm guessing no more four bladed props. (but I thought the KC-130T's have already been upgraded to six bladed propellers)? I don't know, just have to wait and see what gets's released from the accident investigation I guess....